Joe Healey M.M., the Bradley boys, and World Cup 2014

Joe Healey, M.M., takes the occasion of World Cup 2014 to reflect on his relationship with
the famous football [aka soccer] Bradleys, father Bob and son (and current US national team star) Michael. Read his (anticipatory) report
here .

Click on any image to see a larger one.

Joe presides at the December 2012 baptism of Luca Bradley

Joe wears Michael Bradley’s famous #4 jersey, front view

back view

Uncle Joe with parents Michael and Amanda, and Luca

[Mike Southwell supplements Joe’s report by saying this about game 1:
The USA surprised pretty much everyone except their fans by beating a very strong team from Ghana (which had knocked
them out of the previous two World Cups) 2-1.]

Joe says this about game 2:Game Two Report: USA -- 2 Portugal -- 2
An exciting game with both teams getting many chances. As in many World Cups it comes down to the third and final game in the Group Stage: USA vs. Germany on Thursday, 26 June. For those who follow the midfielder Michael Bradley. Michael grew up in Princeton playing youth soccer (coached sometimes by Princetonians) and hanging out at Princeton Varsity Soccer practices run by his father Bob Bradley.”

[Mike Southwell supplements Joe’s report by saying this about game 3:
The USA held its own against a team from Germany that may win it all, losing 1-0 but moving on thanks to Portugal's win over Ghana in the other final group-stage game.]

Joe says this about game 4:Game Four Report: Belgium -- 2 USA -- 1
The New York Times reported: “The Americans leave this World Cup at the exact stage, and by the same result — a 2-1 overtime defeat in the second round — as in 2010. Tuesday, it was to Belgium. Four years ago, it was to Ghana. As far as the United States has come, it has ended up in the same place.” As some may remember, I was in that stadium in South Africa four years ago.

But this time around there is a difference: the enthusiasm and support of fans in the USA for soccer in general and the USA Team in particular. Another report said: "The USA has the largest level of youth soccer in the world, with 20 million young people playing. "I think after 2022, they have an interest in hosting the 2026 World Cup." As the Associated Press noted, an estimated 21.6 million people tuned in for the 4 p.m. Eastern match with Belgium, with combined viewership from ESPN, online streaming and Univision (5.1 million viewers).

As for Michael Bradley (born in Princeton as some may remember) the New York Times reported: “Michael’s assist on the USA goal brought the precision and creativity that many had expected from Bradley since the Cup began. He is often the team’s best player, and he ran nearly a marathon in the three group matches, covering more distance than anyone in that phase of the tournament.” If you have a moment, watch the replay of this exciting USA goal against Belgium on the internet
here .

Michael will back in 2018. There is a saying: “When a community has more memories than it has dreams, it is dying.” So let’s dream of USA soccer in the future.

Joe reported in 2010 also on that year’s World Cup, which took place in South Africa,
noticeably nearer to his posting in Kenya than this year’s in Brazil. Read those postings
here .

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